


Soulmates

by 1997_MusicLover



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 17:24:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9668279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1997_MusicLover/pseuds/1997_MusicLover
Summary: Soulmate tattoos. The tattoo is always a symbol that represents their soulmate in some way. When your soulmate is near the tattoos gets warm - even burn if they're so close you can touch them.





	

Soulmate tattoos.

It’s something everyone has. By the time they turn fifteen they’ve appeared somewhere on them. The tattoo is always a symbol that represents their soulmate in some way. Most people don’t pay too much mind to these tattoos, that is, until they heat up. When your soulmate is near the tattoos gets warm – even burn if they’re so close you can touch them. An ice chill will cover it when you’ve touched your soulmate, and then return to normal temperature if you stay with them. In the case that your soulmate dies, the tattoo will forever remain chilled. In rare cases, a new tattoo will grow for a new soulmate. Many people have questioned how a tattoo can know these things, but so many more have stopped questioning it.

Joshua Hong has dreamed of finding his soulmate since the tattoo gained color in high school. At first, when he was young, it was just a length of black vines growing on the inside of his left wrist, trailing up towards the crook in his arm. When he was eleven he watched as leaves were outlined and when he was fourteen he watched the flower outline grow. It was when he woke up on his sixteenth birthday that he found the leaves to be colored in green and the flower a vibrant blue. Since he’d seen the vibrant colors, he’s wanted to know who the colors could belong to. He’d never felt any warmth on his arm, but he has hope he will in time, even if he only just turned twenty-two.

Hansol Choi is a different story. His tattoo appeared all at once on his thirteenth birthday. He hadn’t noticed it until his mom started freaking out and grabbing his arm, where on the inside of his right wrist was a simple dove outline drawn. He hadn’t even felt it. It wasn’t until his friend burned his arm when he was seventeen that he realized that patch of skin where the tattoo was didn’t feel temperature. At first, he thought he was imagining it, but when his dad took him to the doctor to treat the third degree burn the doctor told him that his skin on and around the tattoo could not feel temperature. A rare fluke in biology; he was told it only happens to a few people each generation. Hansol happens to be one of them. His mom has tried to reassure him that he will still find his soulmate, but Hansol doesn’t bother. In his mind, he is a fluke and no one as pretty and pure as the dove on his arm will want him for a soulmate.

Most people will find their soulmates in college or life after high school in general, along with their best friends. That’s something everyone agrees on.

Joshua has been in college now for three years, he’s starting up his fourth year of his counselling degree later this year, but for the summer he actually hasn’t gone home. This summer he got a job shadowing a therapist - what he’s hoping to become - and it didn’t start off bad. June was fairly easy. He sat in on some sessions or watched how their offices worked. Around July he started feeling his tattoo get warm almost every time he came in to the office, but it always quickly faded. Joshua assumed it meant his soulmate was near, but he’s not paid it much mind. Until this week.

It’s late July, the summer heat burns Joshua’s skin as he gets out of his car. It’s still fairly early in the morning, but the therapist he’s shadowing has him covering his first three sessions from eight to eleven followed up by his own personal session, from eleven to noon. It days like these he’s glad he doesn’t mind getting up so early like most college students.

Today, Joshua’s three sessions go rather well; only one of them asked to be without him, which he’s never had a problem with. It’s understandable, some patients don’t know him well and feel more comfortable with just their usual therapist. So, Joshua waits patiently and reads a book in the front entry way until the session is over.

As the session comes to an end, he feels a warmth spread on his arm. Glancing down at his tattoo, he pulls up his jacket sleeve to run his fingers over the warm skin. It’s not hot, just a soft warmth, which means they’re close but not close enough. A heavy sigh escapes him and he pulls his sleeve back down. He hears the therapist bid the last patient goodbye and stands up. The patient gives him a cheerful smile – a contrast to her gloomy mood when she came in – before exiting the building. Putting the warmth on his arm aside he heads into his session.

“So Joshua,” the therapist starts as he closes the door behind him, “you liking this?”

Joshua nods his head, smiling. “Yeah, I was never really sure how I wanted to counsel or help people but this . . . this seems to be the best way.”

“One on one is always good. It’s nice to be able to help these people figure themselves out and grow into themselves. When you have a patient for a long time, like the girl before, you actually get proud when they make progress. It’s heartwarming.” Joshua smiles during his explanation. “You seem to have a natural knack for this, the few times you’ve helped me with talking to patients has been shocking; you’re quite wise. How old are you?”

“I’ll be twenty-two in December.”

“Still young.” He chuckles. “Enjoy it while you can, when you get older its harder to find free time.”

As Joshua nods he feels his arm get warmer, warmer than he’s ever felt it. Pushing up his sleeves, he hopes it’ll cool down a bit. “I don’t have too many friends, just a handful that I go out with and spend my free time with. It’s not much.”

The therapist nods, glancing down at Joshua’s now exposed arms. “I’ve never asked you about your soulmate, have I?”

Joshua blanks for a second, glancing down to the vibrant blue rose. He admires it for a minute before responding, “Uh, no you haven’t, but that’s alright.”

“Well, it is an important part of everyone’s world and–”

“Ah-!” Joshua jerks his arm to his chest, with wide eyes. “Um, okay ow. . .”

His therapist raises an eyebrow. “You okay?”

“It,” Joshua pauses and looks at his arm as he holds it out in front of him, “it kinda burns. I’ve felt it warm once or twice before, but right now it is really hot. Doesn’t that mean, they’re close . . . but, it’s just us?”

“Hold on, wait here.”

Joshua watches wearily as his therapist stands from his chair and exits the room. The soundproof rooms make it impossible to hear what he’s doing, so Joshua waits patiently as the burning continues on his arm. It’s only a few minutes he has to stew in the annoyance  of the heat before his therapist opens the door again, with a puzzled look on his face.

“None of the other patients or staff are experiencing what you are, so I don’t think I can explain this one to you.” He gives Joshua a sympathetic smile. “Sorry.”

After that session he learned to deal with it.

For the rest of July and August he would feel the burn on his arm every Friday during his own personal session. It didn’t bother him much and he learned to put it aside. He knew he would find the answer soon enough and he shouldn’t push it. Though he has to admit, as his time in the office comes to an end he worries about whether or not he’ll find them.

Somehow, during his last session of August before he started preparing for college he managed to completely ignore the burn on his arm that seems to be even more intense than any other day. Their session winds down to an end and Joshua gives his final ‘goodbye’s and ‘thank you’s to his therapist. He’s sad to see it end, but he knows college starts back up in a few weeks and he’ll have too many essays to count.

After his final ‘goodbye’s to everyone he had met he steps outside.

It’s only noon so the air is hot, the peak of the day, and the sun scorches down onto him. The summer heat hasn’t winded down at all and Joshua is happy that it’ll begin to cool off in another hour or two. Standing out under the bright sun rays is nothing compared to the new heat surging up on his arm.

“Seriously?” Joshua groans, rolling up his shirt sleeve. “Why are you on fire? There’s no one here, like at all.”

Checking to make sure he’s right he scans the parking lot. The parking lot is rather quiet, begin in the downtown area the streets are rather noisy, but this parking lot is off a back alley so the tall building muffle the buzz of downtown. There is one person in the parking lot with him, a younger looking guy sitting against the brick buildings with his head in his hands. He does one more double check, making sure he really is the only other person around, before approaching him, carefully. As he gets closer he can feel the tattoo burn hotter, pulsing and he knows its him, but he just sits there.

“Excuse me?” Joshua tries to make his voice sound soft and calm, but it pitches up a bit.

Slowly, the guy raises his head and Joshua feels his breath catch. They guys eyes are a light brown, but in this direct sunlight form above, they look tawny and vibrant.

“Yeah, what can I do for you?” His voice is raspy in contrast to Joshua’s smooth one, and it makes Joshua’s heart skip.

“Um, your tattoo,” Joshua makes a gesture with his own tattooed arm to him, not knowing where to point, “is it, uh, is it heating up right now?”

The guy’s eyes become sad at this and he sighs. “Um, no it’s not.”

Joshua’s heart drops at this.

“Oh, okay.” Joshua drops his eyes and takes a step back.

The guy holds out his hand with a sad smile. “Sorry, my names Hansol.”

“Joshua.” He reaches forward and grips his hand and shakes it. It’s only for a second, as a sharp icy chill sets into his tattoo; the sharp, painful contrast from hot to cold causes him to rip his hand from Hansol’s and jerk back. “Ah, okay that’s a change.”

Hansol’s eyes widen, and slowly he rises from the pavement to stand in front of him. “What, uh what just happened?”

“My tattoo, it’s been burning for a while now every Friday and when I touched you just now, it went cold.” Joshua explains, rubbing his hand over the tattoo. “You didn’t feel that?” Lifting his head, Joshua levels eyes with Hansol, who’s still wide eyed.

“I,” Hansol swallows past a lump in his throat, “haven’t ever been able to feel temperature. My doctor said it’s a biological glitch and on my tattoo. I can’t feel any heat or cold.”

“Oh.” Joshua gets nervous at this. “Um, well, I think my tattoo lead me to you.” Turning his arm, Joshua shows the flower on his left arm.

Hansol genuinely looks curious, as obviously Joshua had a reaction. He focuses intently on the tattoo, studying the vines and the rose, and a smile takes over his face. A laugh bubbles from him as he reaches a hand up to cover his mouth.

“That’s my favorite flower. A blue rose isn’t real, but it’s a symbol of mystery.” Seeing his favorite flower painted on someone else, gives him a small spark of hope.

Joshua’s heart leaps again, the hope growing in him as well.

Shyly he asks, “May I see yours?”

With a nod, Hansol holds out his arm, showing off the black dove outline. Joshua’s mouth opens in awe. It’s a simple tattoo, but to him it’s perfect. He can’t stop himself from reaching out and gently tracing the lines with his fingers. It’s the touch of his fingers that makes Hansol jerk back, a spark riding up his arm to his brain.

Wide eyed, Hansol lets out a short breath.

“Okay, now that I felt.” His voice is quiet and they both simply stare at each other in shock.

The sound of tires on the pavement snap both of them out of their daze. Hansol looks behind Joshua to see his mom pulling up.

“That’s my mom, hey give me your phone.” Hansol holds out his hand, trying to think quickly.

Joshua – also thinking on the same lines – quickly fishes his phone from his pocket and opens up a new contact. Hansol makes quick work of putting his name and number in his phone and then hands it back.

“Text me?” His voice is almost pleading, sounding like he was trying to hide it, but Joshua could hear it.

“For sure.” Joshua can’t stop the smile that breaks out on his face.

Hansol shares his smile before hurrying to his mom and getting into the passenger seat. Joshua watches them drive off, keeping a close eye on Hansol before turning to his phone. He stands there for a minute, thinking of what he could possibly send to his soulmate as a first text. It’s nerve wrecking, but he finally settles on something that he hopes isn’t to forward.

_You’re just as gorgeous as the rose and I hope I can learn you so you’re not as mysterious as the rose._


End file.
